HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION DEBATES REL

[/c=US/admd=ATTMAIL/prmd=gov+do@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION DEBATES RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION; RIGHTS OF MIGRANT WORKERS, MINORITIES 

3 April 1996


                  Press Release
                  HR/CN/725




HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION DEBATES RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION; RIGHTS OF MIGRANT 
WORKERS, MINORITIES



Greater Effort Urged to Combat Xenophobia, Racist Violence against Migrants 
in Europe

GENEVA, 1 April (UN Information Service) -- The Commission on Human Rights 
heard charges against a number of developing countries of religious
discrimination and mistreatment of minorities this afternoon, while 
industrialized countries were accused of insufficiently protecting the 
rights of migrant
workers.

According to the representative of Ireland, there had been continuous 
reports from Iran of serious violations of the rights of those who did not 
profess the
majority religion. In Pakistan, the Special Rapporteur on religious 
intolerance had concluded in his report that laws relating to religious 
minorities were likely
to foster religious intolerance. In Tibet, developments since last year had 
added to, rather than allayed, the concerns of the international community. 
The
Special Rapporteur had also given examples where the Government of Sudan or 
its agents had violated the rights of those who held minority beliefs.

Also cited by delegates and representatives of non-governmental 
organizations as countries or territories where freedom of religion or 
minority rights were
reportedly not fully respected included southern Lebanon, the former 
Yugoslavia, Viet Nam, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The representative of Iran said the number and frequency of reports in the 
media concerning attacks of various sorts against migrants in Western 
countries
had increased significantly. Xenophobia had spread and become increasingly 
violent in some European countries, while the measures to combat the
problem were not sufficiently strong. It was noteworthy that not one member 
State of the European Union had signed or ratified the International 
Convention
on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their 
Families. It was critical for Western Governments to stand up and confront
such xenophobia.

Representatives of the following countries addressed the afternoon meeting: 
Pakistan, Ireland, Estonia, Switzerland, Latvia, Finland, Slovak



Republic, Morocco, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Viet 
Nam, and Romania. Egypt, Estonia, Iran and China spoke in right of reply.

Also speaking were representatives of the following non-governmental 
organizations: Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization; International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions; International Falcon Movement; 
Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations; World Confederation of Labour;
Commission for the Defense of Human Rights in Central America; Transnational 
Radical Party; World Union for Progressive Judaism; and Society for
Threatened Peoples.

Statements

GEORGE CLEMENT (Pakistan) said his country sincerely believed that the 
protection of human rights was essential for the strengthening of its 
democratic
institutions, fostering national unity and promoting social harmony. 
Minorities in Pakistan, although only forming 3.32 per cent of the 
population, enjoyed
equality as citizens and were accepted in the body politic. While the 
Government did everything possible to uphold the rights of minorities, the 
harmony and
the progressive stance of Pakistan had been disrupted by certain Western 
Governments which had planted several extremists groups of fanatics in the
country during the war in Afghanistan. Those extremists had taken a violent 
and intolerant attitude towards moderate and progressive Muslims and towards
minorities. Pakistan was working assiduously to promote religious harmony 
and to establish a liberal, moderate, tolerant and progressive society.

ANNE ANDERSON (Ireland) said millions of people around the word faced a deep 
contradiction between the principles enshrined in international human
rights instruments and the reality of their daily lives. In Iran, there had 
been continuous reports of serious violations of the rights of those who did 
not
profess the majority religion. In Pakistan, the Special Rapporteur on 
religious intolerance had concluded in his report that laws relating to 
religious minorities
were likely to favour or foster religious intolerance. In Tibet, 
developments since last year had added to, rather than allayed, the concerns 
of the
international community. As for the situation in Sudan, the Special 
Rapporteur had given numerous examples where the Government or its agents 
had
violated the rights of those who held minority beliefs. It was also 
disquieting to note that urgent appeals for information sent by the Special 
Rapporteur to
China and Egypt had remained unanswered.

In conducting his work, she went on, the Special Rapporteur should pay 
priority attention to governmental action that was contrary to the 
Declaration on All
Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief; address 
situations which involved the gravest violations of the right to freedom of
religion or belief; and recommend remedial measures for situations where the 
provisions of the Declaration were violated.



 - 3 - Press Release HR/CN/725 3 April 1996

SIROUS NASSERI (Iran) said the picture of the situation of migrant workers 
worldwide reflected a major change among developed countries towards
extremely restrictive measures and policies. The number and frequency of 
reports in the media concerning attacks of various sorts against, and 
restrictions
on, migrants in Western countries had increased significantly. Xenophobia 
had spread and become increasingly violent in some European countries, while
measures to combat the problem were not sufficiently strong. It was 
noteworthy that not one member State of the European Union had signed or 
ratified the
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant 
Workers and Members of Their Families. It was critical for Western 
Governments to
stand up and confront such xenophobia, and the Commission should keep track 
of violations of migrant workers' rights, especially in Western societies.

TIINA INTELMANN (Estonia) said her country was undertaking all measures to 
meet the standards of international instruments pertaining to human rights.
The Constitution and all other legal instruments enacted by the Estonian 
Parliament were all compatible with the international conventions on human 
rights.
The Government had also taken measures to establish institutions to promote 
the rights of minorities and the rights of aliens living in its territory. 
Any
person belonging to a minority who felt his rights had been violated could 
go to the competent authorities with a complaint.

Pointing to the participation of Estonia in a number of regional mechanisms 
for the defence of human rights and the rights of minorities, she said the 
United
Nations could benefit from closer cooperation with such institutions.

JEAN-DANIEL REY (Switzerland) said the recently formed working group on 
minorities of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and 
Protection
of Minorities now seemed to have found its "cruising speed", taking a first 
positive step in deciding to allow as broad a participation as possible in 
its
deliberations. A second step had been the opening of a constructive dialogue 
on the various experiences, ideas and themes relative to the protection of
rights of persons belonging to minorities. The discussions had been 
conducted without the hindrance of States and non-governmental organizations
exploiting the situation for political ends. Three important subjects would 
be addressed in the forthcoming session of the working group in May: the 
role of
education and the media and dialogue between minorities and governments and 
among minorities themselves. It was to be hoped that the working group
would not devote too much time to the definition of "minorities". On the 
other hand, the suggestion of the Chairman to speak of "categories" of 
minorities
might be interesting.

SANDRA KALNIENTE (Latvia) said all minorities in Latvia enjoyed legal 
protection of their language and culture under the Law on Unrestricted 
Development
and Right to Cultural Autonomy of Latvia's Nationalities and



 - 4 - Press Release HR/CN/725 3 April 1996

Ethnic Groups. The Government had restored to Latvia's minority cultural 
associations all property owned by them in 1940. Keeping in mind that 
education
in national languages was essential for the maintenance of minority cultural 
identity, the State funded 72 classes throughout Latvia providing 
instruction in
Russian. Furthermore, in Riga alone, education to university level was 
provided -- in addition to Latvian and Russian -- in Polish, Hebrew, 
Ukrainian,
Estonian, Lithuanian and Belorussian. Higher education was available in 
Latvian and Russian. The Government also pursued a policy of religious 
tolerance
and strict separation of church and State.

TIMO LAHELMA (Finland), speaking on behalf of the Nordic countries, 
underlined that pluralism was a blessing and a richness for all societies. 
He said that
different national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups all had a 
contribution to make to the development and character of each nation. In 
addition, he
emphasized that the United Nations had a prominent role in promoting and 
protecting the rights of minorities. The working group should be provided 
with
information about constitutional and legal provisions protecting the 
existence and identity of minorities, arrangements concerning their 
effective political
participation and the contributions made both by minorities and majorities 
towards the harmonious and peaceful political development of the national 
society
as a whole.

PETER PROCHACKA (Slovak Republic) said Slovakia had ratified a number of 
regional and United Nations instruments on minority rights, including a
Treaty on Good Neighbourhood and Friendly Cooperation with Hungary. Slovakia 
was confident it had achieved a good level of protection for minorities,
while preserving a fragile balance between the legitimate interests of 
minorities and the equally legitimate interests of majority communities in 
the territories
where the former lived. Now a second stage had been reached -- that of 
implementing and supervising the commitments undertaken. It was not at the 
level
of legislation but of everyday life that real progress was made.

NACER BENJELLOUN TOUIMI (Morocco) said the message of Islam -- a call for a 
new world order founded on humane principles -- implied the abolition of
notions of race, colour and language. Thus, Islam had announced itself from 
its inception as a religion of tolerance, a system of peace and coexistence
based on reason; Islam preached dialogue and excluded extremism and all 
excess. In the West, there was a tendency to perceive Islam erroneously, 
with
some even deliberately presenting a deformed vision of it. The Government of 
Morocco rejected any form of violence and vigorously condemned extremism
and terrorism. Morocco urged dialogue with a view to seeking common 
denominators and bases that could lead to the peaceful coexistence of all
civilizations.

GOCE PETRESKI (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) welcomed the 
support of the Special Rapporteur for a proposal to undertake a
comparative study on the position of national minorities in the Balkans, as 
there was not a single country in that region without national minorities. 
Thus,
there was



 - 5 - Press Release HR/CN/725 3 April 1996

a need for continuous dialogue and cooperation among Balkan countries on 
issues concerning national minorities with the purpose of promoting mutual
understanding and confidence and preserving stability. It would not be an 
easy task, especially having regard to the wide variety of attitudes towards 
the
status of minorities, ranging from their non-recognition to a high level of 
enjoyment of minority rights. None the less, the best way for all Balkan 
countries to
promote the situation of national minorities was to accept European and 
United Nations standards for protection of minority rights and make all 
possible
effort to make them a reality.

NECIP EGUZ (Turkey) said Turkish citizens living in Western Europe added up 
to some 2.7 million, more than half of whom had been living in their host
countries for more than two decades. Discrimination on the basis of race and 
ethnic background bred racism. Migrant workers, often excluded from the
mainstream of societies, became the main targets of xenophobia and racial 
violence. Many Turkish workers in Western European countries had lost their
lives as a result of racial violence. It was ironic that while the values of 
democracy and human rights were leading towards greater pluralism, there was 
a
resurgence of racism and xenophobia in some parts of the world. Integration 
of migrant workers should be pursued; they should be granted the right to 
vote
and allowed to accede to dual citizenship.

LE LUONG MINH (Viet Nam) said Viet Nam was serious about addressing human 
rights. A multi-national and multi-religious country, Viet Nam was aware 
that
the promotion and protection of human rights was in the interest of the 
Government and the people alike. Never had the country undergone the bitter
experience of hatred or conflict between ethnic groups, nor had it seen 
religious intolerance or discrimination. The country's Constitution ensured 
equality
between all ethnic groups as well as freedom of religion and belief. In Viet 
Nam, there were 13,000 Buddhist pagodas, nearly 5,000 Catholic churches, 500
Protestant churches, 600 Caodai temples and about 70 mosques. Those places 
of worship were protected by the State.

TUDOR MIRCEA (Romania) said international norms concerning minorities rested 
in part on the rights of persons belonging to minorities to enjoy their own
culture, practice their own religion and utilize their own language. 
However, the implementation of those rights must not interfere with the 
territorial integrity
and political independence of States. Despite the general acceptability of 
the above premise, some insisted that minorities ought to benefit from 
collective
rights, from an autonomous culture or from self-determination. Another way 
of ensuring the rights of minorities was through the normal process of
democracy and development which gave equal rights to citizens within a 
State.

MOHAMMED ARIF, of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, said 
Pakistan practised large-scale racial and ethnic discrimination against its 
largest
minority -- the 22-million strong Mohajir nation in Sindh province.



 - 6 - Press Release HR/CN/725 3 April 1996

Mohajir people were subjected to extreme brutality, State terrorism and 
deprivation of social and political rights. The Government had put the 
entire Mohajir
population in the grips of a permanent state of anguish. Gerrymandering and 
census abuse had reduced the minority's political power and social impact,
and its members had been systematically weeded out of positions in the 
bureaucracy, the police and the judicial system. The Commission should 
appoint a
special rapporteur to investigate and report on the systematic 
discrimination against the Mohajir nation.

DAN CUNNIAH, of the International Confederation of Free-Trade Unions, said 
the organization was disappointed at the lack of political will from a large
number of governments to take appropriate measures for the protection of the 
rights and dignity of migrant workers and their families. International 
Labour
Organisation standards had enjoyed limited acceptance, while the 
International Convention for the Protection of Migrant Workers had been 
ratified by only
seven countries. Restrictive tendencies and anti-migrant attitudes were 
increasing. Xenophobia, racism and discrimination in Europe were 
particularly
alarming. But it was worth mentioning that some of the worst cases of 
violations occurred in the Gulf region. For instance, earlier this year the 
United Arab
Emirates had decreed that all families of migrant workers earning less than 
400 dirhams had to leave the country immediately. Meanwhile, the 
exploitation of
women domestic workers, including such abuses as rape, continued unabated 
throughout the region.

BEHZAD NAZIRI, of the International Falcon Movement, said the behaviour of 
current Iranian leaders was totally against Islam, a religion of compassion 
and
tolerance. Inside the country, intolerance based on the State religion 
targeted Muslims as well as non-Muslims. Special tribunals had been set up 
to repress
members of the Shiite clergy who had defied the official version of Islam. 
The number of Iranian non-Muslims had been reduced by 35 per cent since the
clergy took power. The international community must draw attention to the 
tragedy befalling religious minorities in Iran.

RUBIN FRIEDMAN, of the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations, said a 
misuse of technology was threatening improvement of human rights for
minorities everywhere. Hate groups were increasingly misusing the power of 
the Internet. Through the software now available, it was relatively simple 
to find
extremist, racist, and anti-Semitic materials which could be downloaded to 
private computers, reprinted and distributed locally. Groups on the World 
Wide
Web of the Internet included the Ku Klux Klan, the Neo-Nazi National 
Alliance, the White Aryan Resistance and the Aryan Nations. Neo-Nazi games 
were
being used to deform children's minds. The issue of such misuse must be 
addressed while the Internet was still young; the Commission should be 
involved
in monitoring and research on the Internet and in promoting international 
agreement on laws to keep hate-based material off the system.



 - 7 - Press Release HR/CN/725 3 April 1996

BEATRICE FAUCHERE, of the World Confederation of Labour, reviewing the 
situation of migrant workers around the world, said such workers in Sri 
Lanka
only earned 2 per cent of the wages of their counterparts in Korea. In a 
study undertaken in Germany, it was revealed that British, Irish, Portuguese 
and
Polish workers were paid 50 per cent of the salaries of German workers. In 
the Gulf States, migrant workers could not belong to a trade union or 
strike; in
the construction industry they were often accommodated in conditions similar 
to a labour camp. On the whole, women migrant workers, particularly domestic
servants, were in the most precarious position. There were cases of forced 
prostitution, where women were employed to carry out a normal job and then
forced to become prostitutes. In most cases migration occurred because of 
the great disparity between the economies of countries in the North and the
South. All the Member States of the United Nations should ratify and, more 
particularly apply, the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers.

MARIE APPEL, of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, said 
migrant women could add greatly to economic growth and social
advancement in their communities, but only if they were given appropriate 
opportunities and sufficient protection. Women migrants were easily 
victimized --
the execution and public punishment of women migrants in recent years had 
shocked the world, drawing attention to the plight of women domestic helpers
working under conditions of discrimination. In the Middle East some had run 
away from employers due to abusive situations; in Singapore, migrant women
were forbidden to become pregnant and were subjected to pregnancy tests 
every six months. The deteriorating situation around the world made 
ratification
of the International Convention on Migrant Workers even more urgent than 
when it was adopted in 1990; it was imperative for the United Nations to 
further
promote its ratification.

The representative of Commission for the Defence of Human Rights in Central 
America said there had been some positive developments regarding the
situation of migrant workers in Central America since the creation of organs 
such as the Central American Organization of Migration and the Council of
Interior Ministers of Central America. However, concrete results were yet to 
be seen. The governments of the region, meeting last February in Mexico, had
not defined "illegal trafficking" of such workers as an illicit act. Some 
countries, including Costa Rica and Nicaragua, had agreed to create seasonal 
cards
for migrant workers. Meanwhile, in the United States, Proposition 187 in the 
state of California was aimed at severely restricting the rights of migrant 
workers
and at curbing their social benefits.

MARINO BUSDACHIN, of the Transnational Radical Party, said his organization 
supported the General Assembly draft resolution calling for a moratorium on
capital punishment and it urged Member States to abolish the death sentence. 
Tibet was a place where human rights had been most violated over the past
40 years. In 1991, there had been some 628 Tibetans held in



 - 8 - Press Release HR/CN/725 3 April 1996

jail because of their political beliefs, including women and children. Monks 
and nuns accounted for more than 70 per cent of those arrested. China even
outlawed the displaying of photographs of the Dalai Lama. The Transnational 
Radical Party expressed its concern at the disappearance of the 6 year old
Panchen Lama and recognized him as the world's youngest political prisoner.

ELIEL MASSON, of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, said just about 
everything that could be said about halting religious discrimination had 
been
said here, but what could be done to end such a bitter, deadly scourge was a 
different and more challenging matter. There was a renewed upsurge of
hostile acts along and astride the southern borders of Lebanon, and there 
were repeated calls to extreme violence by Hamas. Religion should be 
separated
from politics; there was too often a deadly collusion of religious monopoly 
with power politics. Truth flowed in different streams, and the only hope 
for peace
and human rights was the establishment of a just, universally respected 
pluralism. The Commission needed the moral and financial support of all 
nations to
pursue this goal, and should address, among other matters, the issue of 
anti-Semitism.

TSERING NORZOM, of the Society for Threatened Peoples, said there were 
numerous cases of violations of religious freedom all over the world, 
including
persecution of Buddhists in Viet Nam, Burma and the Chittagong Hill Tracts 
of Bangladesh; Christians in Sudan, China and Pakistan; the Bahais in Iran;
and Muslims in the former Yugoslavia. In Tibet, China sought through 
numerous human rights abuses to assimilate and control the Tibetan people by
undermining Tibetan Buddhism. Recently, China had interfered with the 
selection process of a new Panchen Lama. The international community and the
Commission must note China's action as an illegitimate secular intrusion 
into an intimately religious matter and as the desecration and violation of 
an
ancient religious tradition. China should allow the rightful Panchen Lama to 
take his place.

Right of Reply

NAELA GABRE (Egypt) said that, contrary to what had been claimed by the 
representative of Ireland, Egypt had responded to the appeal of the Special
Rapporteur. However, he had not been able to include that response in his 
report. The delegation of Ireland should verify the facts before speaking. 
As for
the statement of a non-governmental organization on 29 March referring to 
alleged religious discrimination in Egypt, it was false. Christians were not
regarded as a national minority in Egypt. Indeed, Egyptian Copts were part 
of Egyptian society, not a minority. Egypt guaranteed freedom of religion to 
all its
citizens, and Egyptian law did not require anyone to convert to another 
religion. However, the law punished the use of religion as a pretext to 
cause
problems.



 - 9 - Press Release HR/CN/725 3 April 1996

TIINA INTELMANN (Estonia) said the Russian Federation had improperly accused 
Estonia of religious discrimination this morning. The issue of the Orthodox
Church, which had chosen to depend on the Patriarch of Constantinople rather 
than the Patriarch of Moscow, had been dealt with by the relevant Church
authorities. Estonia did not recognize a State religion and had not played a 
role in the matter. Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church had sought to be
declared by the Estonian Government as the sole Orthodox Church in the 
country, which the Government would not do. Russia improperly continued to
politicize this issue.

BAGHER ASSADI (Iran) said the call by the United States delegation to 
condemn Iran was an example of intolerable behaviour that should be 
condemned.
The report of the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance was the 
product of cooperation, and it called for further cooperation. It showed 
clear
improvement in the situation under review. The American agenda, predicated 
on ulterior motives and extraneous objectives, was quite something. The
United States delegate's remarks betrayed the fact that they had not read 
the report. He proposed that the United States encourage its allies to 
invite the
Special Rapporteur for a visit to document their situations.

The representative of China said a few non-governmental organizations had 
accused the Chinese Government of violating human rights in Tibet. All this
was no more than an unfair effort to interfere in China's internal affairs. 
As a Tibetan, he wished to speak straightforwardly. Tibet had been given
preferential treatment by the Government for decades -- over 40 projects 
already completed there had exceeded $3 billion, greatly aiding development 
in
Tibet. China had spent great amounts also to protect and foster Tibetan 
culture, including the restoration of religious sites. Meanwhile, the 
Tibetan
population had been allowed to grow at an impressive rate.

* *** *

Correction

In Press Release HR/CN/723, paragraph 4, page 7, should read as follows:

SAID HAFYANA (Libya) said the International Association of Jewish Lawyers 
and Jurists had charged Libya with supporting Hamas, but the violence of
certain Palestinian organizations did not occur in a vacuum. It was a result 
of violence committed against Palestinians for years. Israelis had left 
Palestinians
in a state of destitution and hunger. Why had the same organization not 
condemned atrocities committed by Israelis? The statement of the group had 
been
contradictory and unbalanced.